Summary: Microsoft front attacks FOSS in a new paper which IDG gives visibility to

IT IS NOT UNUSUAL for Microsoft to reach out to the likes of Alexis de Tocqueville Institution for attacks on Free software. It is just so much better than appearing like an aggressor. These attacks are safer when they seem to come from 'independent' (Microsoft-funded) lobby groups.

It is well established that Jonathan Zuck's Association for Competitive Technology (ACT) [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8] is a Microsoft lobby group which was created specifically to defend Microsoft in Washington (and later on in Brussels). Grant Gross from IDG seems to not be aware of it because he gives attention to ACT's latest attack on Free/open source software.

The report's goal is to help "avoid creating any kind of expectations that there is such a thing as a free lunch in IT," said Braden Cox, a co-author of the report and research and policy counsel at ACT.

Let is be emphasised that Microsoft, the company behind many such smears against FOSS, is the funding source of the above FUD, yet it is invited to speak at OSCON 2009, also in exchange for payments. This brutally corrupt culture of attacks on competitors via lobbies absolutely must end. For IDG to not mention what is happening here is truly a shame, but then again, IDG too is financially tied to Microsoft [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] (although nowhere to the same extent). This is part of a pattern where IDG gives ACT exposure. ⬆